GRAND JUNCTION, COLO. (November 26) – Junior forward Derek Owen went five-of-six from the field and the free throw line for a career high 15 points in Dixie State College’s 65-58 win over Western State College in day one action of the Clarion Inn Thanksgiving Classic.
 
Owen also set new bests with seven rebounds and two steals in 23 minutes off the bench.
 
Dixie State improved to 4-2 on the season winning their third straight game while the Mountaineers (0-3) pushed DSC until the very end before falling in defeat.
 
Griffon Jones hit a jumper and sank two free throws to cap an early 6-0 run giving the Storm an early 14-5 lead. WSC’s Alex Hart then reeled off nine straight points over a three-minute span to knot the game. Landon Clegg drained a jumper with 22 seconds left in the half – Dixie State led 31-26 after one period.
 
Neither team could produce a substantial run over the early minute of the second half. Western State pulled even with 9:40 remaining with a Jordan Adams layup. Dixie State responded with a defining 9-0 run in 3:42 including a pair of Owen lay-ins and a three-point play from Jones.
 
Down by four, the Mountaineers turned to fouls to keep time on the clock. DSC his five of their final six charity shots to endure victory despite the physical nature of play.
 
Jones scored 14 points and Tom Whitehead added 11 rounding out three Red Storm players in double figures. The club finished with a season-low 10 turnovers.
 
Hart led all scorers with 23 for Western State. Troy McCoy added a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds before fouling out.
 
The Red Storm close out the two-day tournament with a 7:00pm tip against Mesa State College on Saturday.